Survivor 20: Heroes vs Villains

I hear you about James, he really wanted to stay in the game where Colby just seemed to roll over and accept his fate. Too bad about his injuries, thats twice now where it has cost him from staying in the game.

Yup, while Russell made a bold move giving away immunity, it wouldnt have worked if Tyson hadnt been so dumb. I bet it keeps him up at night...lol

hmmmmm now just where did I use the word "blinded"? must be a freudian slip on your part.

What in the world do Jeff and Jordan have to do with this??????

I guess I got it from what you insinuated. That Boston Rob can do no wrong in my eyes.

Is it that hard for you to give Boston Rob credit? He's played the best game of any of them this season perhaps the best game of them all combinded this season.

Oh your comment about kicking kittens made me think of Jeff and Jordan because they sucked and still worshipped, at least when I like someone they're actually good in the game.

OMGA! LEAVE JORDEFF ALONE! And if you're favorites were so "good" they would actually win..

<333 Parvati, Amber, & Jordan!!!

I do give BR credit, I even said when he made fire without flint that I liked him better than I ever did. That does not mean that I have to give credit to the ball latching skanks in his alliance just BECAUSE they are in his allliance or mainly because they havent done shit.
I also don't think that J and J "completely sucked". Bottom line is that they are very well liked and I understand why.
Don't you ever just like someone because they make you laugh? It doesnt always have to be about performance...at least not for me. Howie might be the best example. Completely clueless about most things but one of my all time favorites.

Oh trust me they are far from skanks because no one would want them.. Trash, yes..skanks? Not so much..

Colton wrote:

Oh trust me they are far from skanks because no one would want them.. Trash, yes..skanks? Not so much..

lol the claws are out and sharpened!

Erika wrote:

Colton wrote:

Oh trust me they are far from skanks because no one would want them.. Trash, yes..skanks? Not so much..

lol the claws are out and sharpened!

lol

Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano talks 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains'

Reality TV World: You called Coach a "little man" and blew off his attempt at a goodbye hug or whatever that was after he voted for Courtney instead of forcing a 4-4 tie between yourself and Russell. I know you said you "saw it coming" in your final words, but exactly what did you mean -- did you see Coach not willing to force a tiebreaker or what did you see coming?

Rob Mariano: Yeah, I knew I was going, because I could just tell by his demeanor, the way he was.

But what aggravated me was here's Coach, here's a guy who his entire M. O. week in and week out on national television is talking about how honest and loyal he is, and integrity and that's how he plays the game and everything. And then he gives me his word right there that he's voting for Russell and then goes and does something else, which I don't really have a problem with -- I get that it's a game and that there's lying and manipulation.

But what I don't get is how you can go on and on and on about how honorable you are and then do something completely the opposite [and then] stand up and expect me to shake your hand and be like "Good game."

I just wanted him to know that it wasn't "all right" in that instance. You know, you didn't do what you said you were going to do, you're not honorable, you're not loyal, and I wasn't having any of it.

But at the same time, I'm not holding anything against Coach, I don't have any ill will towards him. It's just he talked the talk and didn't walk the walk and I wasn't about to give him his forgiveness right there on the spot.

Reality TV World: Yeah, Coach seemed to make a huge deal out of keeping his word to Russell but he didn't seem really seem to mention keeping his word to you. Why was that -- had you guys never formalized your alliance beyond that "you've got to trust me" conversation you had had with him a few episodes earlier? Do you have any idea?

Rob Mariano: I think he's playing both sides of the fence. He's trying to walk in the middle and it was indicative with his vote last night for Courtney, he took the easy way out. He's probably playing it that he was loyal to me because he didn't vote against me but that's not what he said he was going to do.

He said he was going to vote for Russell and he didn't. So in a way, he took the easy way out.

Reality TV World: I know a lot of focus was put on the Villains' second Tribal Council visit and the showdown between Russell and yourself, but in hindsight it really seems that not voting Parvati off at that first Tribal Council was the biggest mistake you made out there. Do you agree with that?

Rob Mariano: It wasn't, I'll tell you why: there was no way Parvati could have gone home.

Reality TV World: Tyson seemed to think he would have had the other votes.

Rob Mariano: She didn't have enough votes to go home, there wasn't enough people. I mean Jerri wanted to join up with Randy, and Tyson and Coach and myself and Russell. But Russell never had any intention of voting Parvati out, Jerri was misinformed.

Reality TV World: You don't think you could have gotten Sandra?

Rob Mariano: I think Parvati and Russell, they're in cahoots together -- they had it going from the outset.

Reality TV World: Did you guys consider going after Danielle instead of Parvati?

Rob Mariano: Yes, we did. And you know what, I said that right before, because I could tell that Tyson was a little bit scared and I could tell like when I was explaining it to him how a tie strategy would be perfect, because nobody could go home from our tribe and it would flush out the idol.

I explained it to him in detail and I could just tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't 100% sure if I was telling him the right thing. So then it occurred to me, I was like, "We'll just vote off Danielle. Nobody will ever see it coming, she'll never expect it. All we need is me, you, Courtney, and Sandra and she's gone."

And it just, at that time, it seemed like an easy thing, but this other plan [to split votes 3-3] is 100% foolproof too, and it eliminates one of the two biggest threats that I see, being Russell and Parvati. Additionally, it takes out the hidden Immunity Idol. So it seemed like the better play to go after one of them, but we did consider voting off Danielle.

And nobody would have missed her, she's a non-factor anyways. So like nobody would have seen it coming, nobody would have missed her, it would have cut her down. But to me, it made sense to get rid of one of the stronger strategic threats in Parvati and Russell with absolutely no risk involved so long as everybody does what they are supposed to.

Reality TV World: Why didn't you go after her instead of Randy the first time around?

Rob Mariano: You mean go after Danielle instead of Randy?

Reality TV World: Yeah.

Rob Mariano: Randy -- I've got to be honest, I feel bad for Randy a little bit. You know, he's just -- this guy, he's just not a happy person. He's not happy to be around, I don't know what it is. He obviously had a thing for me, whatever it was, but I never said anything bad about him.

I think he was just disappointed because I never gave him a shot to play with me. I wanted him to, but you know, he's on the wrong train and I'm telling him, "You're going the wrong way," and he just didn't want to do anything. Just a real negative person with a real negative attitude, and we didn't need that around camp.

So that's why it was easy. It wasn't because Courtney or Parvati were stronger. When I said "stronger to the team," I meant stronger for morale, stronger for the team morale-wise. Because he was just a really negative person. I wish the best for Randy, I hope he can get it together.

Reality TV World: When I talked to Tyson last week, he said that he thought the only reason Russell gave Parvati the idol is because Russell thought he had no chance and was beat and was just kind of looking to go out of the game on his own terms. Do you believe that was the case or do you believe what Russell was telling on last night's episode, that he knew exactly what he was doing all along?

Rob Mariano: No, I agree with Tyson. I really do. I think Russell saw the writing on the wall and he knew that it was him either this week or next week. I don't think for a minute Russell thought any of us were going to split off the vote [plan] we were supposed to do.

I really think the reason why Tyson changed his vote is because I think Tyson got scared with him being up there about the tie, he wasn't sure how it was going to work out, and he didn't think in a billion years that Russell would give the idol. I mean nobody really thought he would give it away. But if he did, the plan that I had, it [still] wouldn't have mattered, he would have gone either this week or next week.

I think Tyson was betting that he wasn't going to give the immunity away, so this way he way he could throw a vote to Parvati and Parvati goes home and still looks, in Russell's eyes, like he hasn't cast a vote against him. [So] in case down the road something should happen, he's still in Russell's favor for some reason or another.

Reality TV World: How big an advantage do you think Russell got from the fact that nobody had gotten to see his Samoa gameplay before you guys got out there?

Rob Mariano: It's a huge advantage -- it cuts both ways actually...

Reality TV World: But do you think like Jerri would have still thought he was more trustworthy than you based on what you did six years ago if she had actually seen the gameplay and sabotage he had just done on the show's last season?

Rob Mariano: No, absolutely not. I mean had any of us seen him play in Samoa, without a doubt he'd have been the first one voted out. Without a doubt.

So in that respect what it did was it gave him the benefit of the doubt among the doubt among the other contestants. Which in my opinion, even I gave him the benefit of the doubt for the first vote. But in my opinion, I would rather play with the enemy I know than the enemy I don't know anything about. Jerri chose to go the other way.

Reality TV World: It seemed pretty unbelievable that even if you include Richard Hatch who was asked but obviously couldn't make it, the producers seemed to feel four of the show's top six all-time male Villains were from the three previous seasons, and two were from the same season. Was that a surprise to you when you got out there and do you think there was a bit of a bias against some of the older seasons?

Rob Mariano: You know the game has changed a lot in the past 20 seasons and I wouldn't say a bias, but there's definitely a different mentality between the old-school [players] and the new-school. I mean things like working around camp and providing for your team and building a shelter -- that type of stuff -- that's out the window now.

Back in the day that used to be of some value but that doesn't matter at all anymore. Now it's all about alliances. I mean Russell's sabotaging his own team so that he can look better and stronger!

That would have never happened back in the day. It's definitely a different mentality between the old school and the new school.

Reality TV World: What's next for you, should we expect to see yourself or Amber on another reality show or is this it you guys?

Rob Mariano: Right now I think we're just enjoying our time home with our daughter.

Survivor’s ‘Boston’ Rob to Russell: ‘I Appreciate the Competition’

April 5, 2010



After two consecutive tribal councils in which Tyson blindsided himself and Coach threw away his vote, ‘Boston’ Rob Mariano found his majority alliance in tatters and was ousted from Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. Mariano, who returned home to wife Amber, winner of Survivor: All-Stars and daughter Lucia Rose, talked to PEOPLE about fire, idols and, of course, Russell. –-Cynthia Wang

Why am I talking to you now?
I’m sorry! I did my best!
So you started the game hot, literally, when you made fire, as Stephen says, ‘with your mind.’
When I got the call to come back again I said to Amber, “Look it, I’m gonna learn to make a fire. Because this is ridiculous, in 20 seasons, 301 people, nobody has ever made fire.” So I went out and practiced. My dad had a bamboo wind chime, I cut it apart, and in the middle of summer last year, in my garage at two o’clock in the morning, I made fire! The game is about strategy, alliance-making and challenges, but at some point way back when, when Survivor first started, there was an aspect of it that was about adventure and surviving and cohabitating on an island. That was a very awesome moment for me.
Would you say you were out-hustled by Russell?
I don’t know that I was out-hustled more than a victim of stupidity! I did what I set out to do. I played hard and fought with everything that I had. I had two critical things happen that broke down my alliance: Tyson, for whatever reason, decided to go against the plan, which ended up biting him in the a– and sending him home, and Coach, for all his prophesying about loyalty, honesty and integrity, didn’t live up to his own words. If I came at Jerri in a more aggressive manner, all it would have done is seal my fate. I tried to do it in a way that Jerri would respond to. She doesn’t respond well to aggression.
Would it have affected anyone on your tribe if you had known more about Russell’s game play earlier?
Of course it would’ve. He would have been the first one out. I mean, it’s obvious. Anybody that takes the approach that “I’m gonna sabotage my own team in order to get further” wouldn’t be well received by anybody that respects the game.
So do you respect Russell’s game?
I don’t know if I would call it respect. There are things about his strategy that I do agree with and in a way I kind of found myself thinking along the same lines. At the same time, there are other things he does that are completely opposite of what I would do. I would never sabotage my own team. What good does it do to hide a machete and make your own team weak? I can’t take it away from him, though, because he seems to be doing well. Whether that’s a strategy that’s going to be effective for him all the way through the end? I highly doubt it. I wouldn’t say I respect his game but I appreciate the competition.
What did you think of Russell giving up his immunity to Parvati?
The fact that he gave up his own immunity to protect her is ridiculous. People see that as a genius move and stuff? There’s nothing genius about it. It’s just stupidity that worked out for him and he got lucky.
In hindsight, would you have prevented Russell from looking for it?
Here’s the thing with that whole scene with the hidden immunity idol … What happened was we got back to camp after we won that reward and we open the box and here’s this note that falls out … For a split second in my mind, I’m thinking I’m going to read off the paper but I’m not going to read what it says. I’m going to say something to the effect of, “Everybody at Sears wants to congratulate you for winning this reward. Please enjoy these tools.” And then stick it in my pocket and walk away. But I know that’s not going to fly with these guys. They’re too smart for that. Somebody’s going to say, “Let me see it,” and then all of a sudden they’re going to see what I did, and they are going to call me out and it’s going to be a huge target. So I decide the best thing is to be forthcoming and read it aloud. Sandra is the one who says, “Whoever goes and gets it is marked.” In my mind, I think that’s great, because here it is, I can’t get it on my own, what are we all going to do, run out together? If that happens, whoever finds it is automatically going to get flushed out. We’re going to flush this thing out one way or another, so why not say whoever is going to get it is going home. We knew he had the idol. There was never a doubt in my mind that he had it. I wish I found it under different circumstances.


I wish he would have at least made it to the merge.

WTF did I just see??? Are you kidding me? I am totally confused so hopefully someone can clear this up......did the girls NOW align against Jerri and Russell? Why in Gods name would you vote out Coach over worthless and weak Courtney?????? At first I thought that Russell was pulling the strings and changed his mind about voting out Coach but if you caught the end of the show when they show the votes cast, Russell voted for Courtney. Yikes! Hopefully Russell can make it to the merge as I think this villain tribe is TOAST!!!!